The Korean entertainment industry is mourning over the death of veteran actress Jeon Mi Sun, 48 (50 in Korean age), who was found dead in a hotel room in Jeonju, North Jeolla province on June 29.
Mi Sun was in the city for the staging of the play, "3 Days and 2 Nights with my Mother."
The award-winning actress was reported to be suffering from depression - with her mother being ill coinciding with the recent passing of another family member.
Though the foul play was initially considered as no suicide note has been found, the police have stated that it's most apparently a suicide. Their statement read:
Jeon Mi Sun checked into the hotel at 1 in the morning and stayed by herself. According to the CCTV footage, she went into the room alone and no one else came in after her. There was no evidence of homicide or invasion, and no final letter was discovered.
According to authorities, the province's fire department received a call from the actress' manager at around 11:43 a.m. KST. When they arrived in the area, she was also already found unconscious, with no pulse and heartbeat.
Hours after her body was found, her agency Boas Entertainment released an official statement (as translated by Soompi) confirming the acclaimed actress' sudden death:
We come with bad news. Actress Jeon Mi Sun has passed away at the age of 50 (by Korean reckoning).
She has been receiving treatment for depression. However, we are here with sad news today. We ask for your condolences, and we ask the media to refrain from reporting on unconfirmed rumors and speculations out of respect for her family, who are in shock and grief-stricken.
Before funeral processions take place on July 2, her body will be at a funeral home in Asan Medical Center. Since June 30, several celebrities and industry figures have paid respects to the deceased actress, including Song Kang Ho, Yoon Se Ah, Park So Dam, Yum Jung Ah, and Nah Young Hee among others.
Mi Sun, whose career kicked off in 1989, has started in numerous film and TV projects, including "The King's Letters," "Reply 1988," and "The Moon Embracing The Sun," to name a few. She was last seen on "He Is Psychometric."
Among the countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or OECD, South Korea has the highest suicide rate - with one Korean committing suicide every 40 seconds. And people who took their own lives come from different backgrounds, including those who are in the entertainment industry.
In 2017, SHINEE's Kim Jonghyun shocked the country when he committed suicide. Last year, actor Jeon Tae Soo also died from an apparent suicide.
